Three Dimensions
by Ally5
Summary: Bobby, Lindsay and Rebecca's take on a day in the office


Title: Three dimensions  
  
Author: Ally (alleyb178@yahoo.com)  
  
Author's note: This is just a short fanfic that I put together a while ago. I wanted to write something a little different. It looks at two sides of a story, first Lindsay's, then Bobby's and finally, the conclusion from Rebecca (hence the name three dimensions). You'll understand when you read it. Feedback is always welcome.  
  
Disclaimer: The story is mine. But the characters aren't (except for Heather, but she's a fairly flat character and I don't want to claim her anyway!).  
  
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Lindsay…  
  
It's a horrible day. There is rain pouring outside, my feet are sore and I feel bloated and ugly. It's called being pregnant…though I can't take the credit for the weather. Ughhh. Whenever people talk about pregnancy, they talk about how glowing you look, how amazing it feels to have a living thing growing inside you. Yeah right. Let me tell you that the living thing is a parasite. It takes away all your energy and then kicks you when you want to take a nap. People think the kicking part is cute, and it was…the first five times it happened. Now? Now it's just disturbing. Not to mention the other parasite in my life. Some would call that parasite my husband, but I know him as the torturer. He's the one that planted this thing inside me. He thinks I'm joking when I talk about divorce, but he has another thing coming.  
  
So that's my background. It's all you really need to know about me before I begin telling you about my day. Here goes.  
  
Like I said earlier, it's raining. It's been raining all day. I usually love rain: it has a calming, cleansing effect on me. But today it just made the bad day worse. Rain is only calming and cleansing when you're inside, watching it form patterns on the windows, but when you're stuck out in it, waiting for the aforementioned torturer to pick you up from a ob/gyn appointment, it's more infuriating than anything else. He says that I should have waited inside, but truth be told, I wanted to look as dismal as possible to make him feel guilty.  
  
It didn't work.  
  
I hate not being able to drive. It all happened a few weeks ago, when I attempted to get behind the wheel and found myself embarrassingly wedged between the steering wheel and the seat. Needless to say, Bobby was not the most sympathetic of onlookers and as punishment I now make him drive me everywhere.  
  
So, looking like Kate Winslet when she was rescued from the Titanic, okay, maybe I didn't look like Kate Winslet, but I can dream can't I? Looking rather bedraggled, I entered the office for another day of abuse and despair as a defense attorney. I should have ended the day there – but I have this irrational hope that if a situation is bad, it will get better. Like I said, it was an irrational hope. So I entered the office, grabbed my messages and sat down. And watched the torturer through the blinds. He had a client waiting for him; she was the reason that he was late. Bitch. He had practically dumped me in the vicinity of my desk and run to her rescue. I watched him laugh over something she said and I emitted a sound that wouldn't have sounded out of place on the African Savannah.  
  
Much to my dismay it caused Rebecca to look at me strangely, "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Rebecca."  
  
"Did the appointment go okay?"  
  
"The appointment was fine, but it was the waiting afterwards that didn't go to plan."  
  
"Bobby was late?" Rebecca asked. I could see that she knew the answer to the question. She was humouring me, and if there is nothing I hate more than when someone humours me.  
  
"No Bec, I love standing in the rain. In fact I enjoyed it so much, I was even happy to see that there is a hooker waiting for Bobby in his office."  
  
"Oh, so you saw the new client?"  
  
I gave her 'the look'.  
  
"Do you want to know who she is?"  
  
I desperately wanted to know, but played it safe, "Not really, no."  
  
Rebecca chuckled and smiled a secretive smile. On Rebecca, that smile was infuriating.  
  
I busied myself at my desk, but could sense her watching me, waiting for me to break. I couldn't stand it any longer, "Okay. Tell me. Who is she?"  
  
"Her name is Heather Cameron and she is suing her employer for firing her. She says that it was unfair dismissal."  
  
I was watching the woman through the blinds and could see her edging closer and closer to Bobby. Bobby didn't move an inch and his manner became more intimate with her, until they were almost whispering conspiratorially. Rebecca continued her explanation, but I didn't hear a word. I stood and walked to Bobby's door, this had been going on long enough. Rebecca stopped, mid sentence and watched me with amusement.  
  
After knocking three times, I entered and watched Bobby and the woman guiltily move away from each other. They hadn't been kissing or anything, but it was obvious that if they got any closer, they'd be on top of each other. He looked like a guilty schoolboy, and dropped his head.  
  
"Bobby, can I talk to you?" I tried not to sound too pissed off, but the harshness seemed destined to be included in the tone.  
  
"Sure, Lindsay." He was ashamed and excused himself from the other woman.  
  
I led him to the conference room, and closed the door in face of a curious Rebecca. Her face fell as she realised that she wasn't going to be a part of this conversation.  
  
"What's up?" Bobby asked me, breaking the silence.  
  
I couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask that. "Is she the reason that you were late to pick me up?" I tried my hardest to sound neutral, but god help me, I find that very hard to do.  
  
"She arrived just before I was about to pick you up and I couldn't brush her off. She specifically asked for me."  
  
"You couldn't or wouldn't brush her off?"  
  
"I had to at least listen to her problem and I've already apologised for being late." He sounded peeved now.  
  
He was going to have to do better than that "You seem to care more about this prospective client than you do your own wife and child." Was that really my hysterical voice just then? God, it sounded like a woman about to have a nervous breakdown. Yep, it was my voice, because Bobby was suddenly looking nervous. The worried look that he shot over his shoulder at Rebecca was a good indication of his discomfort here.  
  
His voice was softer, more affectionate, "Lindsay, I'm sorry, sweetheart. If I had realised that you were waiting in the rain, I would have come sooner. But you have to admit that that was a stupid thing to do."  
  
Stupid? I was furious now, "Was it stupid of me to expect that my husband would pick me up on time after an appointment that involved the future of our child?"  
  
He realised his mistake and backtracked, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."  
  
Yeah, right. "Yes, you did!"  
  
"No, I didn't!" he insisted.  
  
"Yes…you…did."  
  
"No…I…didn't."  
  
"I guess I was stupid this morning. Stupid to think that you would keep your promise and come to this check-up, stupid to think that you would take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to make sure that your baby will be born with ten fingers and toes and a full complement of genetic material."  
  
"Is everything okay?" he asked, suddenly concerned.  
  
"Everything's fine. But…" it was time to make him feel really guilty, "…all the other women in the waiting room had someone there with them. I was the only one that was alone."  
  
"I'm sorry, Lindsay. This is an important client. I'll be there next time, I promise."  
  
Time to change tactics, "Do you need a second chair on this case?"  
  
"Well, I was going to ask Jimmy to help me with it. Juries really like him."  
  
"I think I should second chair."  
  
His eyes narrowed, "Why?"  
  
"I don't have much to do and this seems like an interesting case. Wrongful dismissal, right?"  
  
He nodded, his eyes still narrowed.  
  
"Great." End of discussion. He wasn't going to argue with me on this one, not after I made him feel so guilty about the check up.  
  
"Great," he replied, much less enthusiastically.  
  
I followed him back to his office, while Rebecca harboured a hurt expression and watched us from behind a case file.  
  
"Heather, this is Lindsay Dole. She'll be helping me on this case. Lindsay, Heather Cameron."  
  
I put out my hand and pumped hers emphatically, her strangled look told me that I had accomplished my goal of terrifying her. Hehehe.  
  
She spoke. Her voice was husky. The sort that usually made men quiver with arousal. I was interested to see what effect it had on Bobby, but he maintained expressionless throughout. "So you're pregnant, huh?" she asked, her husky voice like fingernails down a blackboard.  
  
Well, duh. "Yes. Six months."  
  
"Wow. Shouldn't you be on, like, maternity leave by now?" her voice was grating on my nerves.  
  
Shouldn't you be getting lost in, like, the Bermuda triangle by now? I giggled to myself, and put on a serene face, "My boss has threatened me with it, but I've convinced him that I'm better off working." I gave Bobby a pointed look.  
  
He cleared his throat, "Lindsay, Heather is suing her old company for firing her. Their argument is that she uses her…uh…looks…to steal clients off other workers in the company. Complaints were filed against her and when she refused to change the way she dressed and acted, they fired her. It is wrongful dismissal and it should be easy to get them to make an offer."  
  
"I don't want to take an offer," Heather interjected emphatically.  
  
"It may be the best thing, Heather," his voice was soothing, ugh, I felt like I was going to puke. And then I really felt like I was going to puke. And then I puked. Okay, so maybe I didn't. I'm just expressing my disgust at his attitude here.  
  
I put my disgust behind me. "Surely they offered you some sort of redundancy settlement when they fired you?"  
  
"Of course they did. But I haven't been able to find work elsewhere, Ms. Dole. They refuse to give me a good reference," she sniffed melodramatically and I felt my nausea rise again. Heroically, she added, "The emotional pain has been overwhelming."  
  
The nausea wouldn't go away. I smiled as fake a smile as I could manage, "I'm sure it is just terrible for you. We'll do everything we can, Ms. Cameron."  
  
She looked at me as though I were her best friend and then…wait for it…kissed Bobby on the lips. I was not impressed. In fact, outrage didn't even begin to describe my feelings. My fury could have whipped up tropical storms in the Antarctic. Couldn't she see the wedding band on his finger? Bobby simply looked as though he wanted to become invisible, but I felt no sympathy for him. She waved me a feeble goodbye and I returned the gesture, adding to it a fake smile and a "see you soon". And then she was gone.  
  
And I suddenly realised an important lesson. Sometimes, when it's raining outside, you're better off staying in bed.  
  
Bobby…  
  
I couldn't believe how late I was running when I stepped into the cold rain. I hate rain. It makes everybody act crazily. The roads were downright dangerous on the way to the clinic and people weren't shy about using their horns. More than once I saw my life flash before my eyes. I could almost see Lindsay weeping at the cemetery with our child in her arms. At last I got there and I knew as soon as I saw her standing in the rain, tapping her foot that I was in for it. Oh boy. The image of Lindsay at the cemetery became much more plausible. How late was I? The look on her face told me the answer. I was VERY late. I was stupid. Why hadn't I made the effort to be on time? The client was no excuse, I should have given the case to Rebecca, but I always feel that I should try to satisfy the client. She had asked for me, so I felt obliged to take the case. It was my fault. The look on Lindsay's face confirmed it. The worst thing is that the client was still waiting in my office and that Lindsay will see her.  
  
She slid in next to me. Well…slid is not the right expression. She doesn't slide very easily these days. I guess lumbered is a better description. But that isn't the point. The point is that she wasn't very happy. She was also dripping water through over my car. I leaned over to kiss her. It usually works to sooth her fury, but not today. She remained silent.  
  
"How was the appointment?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
Her hair was dripping everywhere and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. She looked awful.  
  
"It sure is wet today," I commented, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Oh really? I didn't notice," the sarcasm dripped from her words.  
  
"Linds? Why didn't you wait inside?"  
  
She wouldn't even look at me. "I didn't think you'd be this late."  
  
"I'm sorry." The apology sounded inadequate and she barely acknowledged that I had spoken. Oh boy.  
  
We got to the office. Rebecca looked at me accusingly when she saw Lindsay, but said nothing. I returned to the client. Lindsay marched to her desk and gave me an evil stare.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," I told the blonde bombshell sitting in my office. She wasn't my type, but any man would have to blind or gay not to be impressed by her appearance. This was a woman who wasn't afraid to show her femininity. And her voice was really something. But, just by looking at her, I knew that Lindsay would hate her. I think Lindsay's hatred of this type of woman stemmed from the lack of such…uh…assets herself. Lindsay is a beautiful woman and I love her more than life itself. But I'm a man. What can I say…I'm easily impressed.  
  
She waved away the apology, "Don't worry about it."  
  
She patted the couch next to her and I sat down as far away as I could get. I wasn't going to get myself into any more trouble with Lindsay.  
  
"So, Bobby," the woman purred in my ear. "Do you think I have a case?"  
  
The words suddenly caught in my throat, "Sure," I said, but it came out as a croak, "Uh…Sure," I repeated more clearly.  
  
She smiled seductively. This wasn't fair. I was doing my best to be loyal to my wife and this woman comes along. I was doomed to fail. She said something and then laughed afterwards. I didn't even hear what she said, but I joined her in the laughter. She inched closer and closer to me, and I couldn't do anything about it. I was already pressed against the arm of the couch. I did what any man would do in this situation. I pretended that nothing out of the ordinary was happening. I looked at my legal pad and cleared my throat and told her what her options were. She listened. It seemed to be going well when there was a knock at the door. I almost fell off the edge of the couch when I saw Lindsay's furious expression. Couldn't she see that I was trying?  
  
"Bobby, can I talk to you?" There was an edge to her voice and her eyes betrayed her true feelings.  
  
"Sure, Lindsay." I could feel that my face was red.  
  
"I'm sorry, Heather. I won't be long."  
  
"Take your time, Bobby."  
  
Rebecca was watching us curiously, but Lindsay's dirty look stopped her in her tracks. She gave me a look as if to say, "You're in trouble."  
  
I closed the door and turned to face her, "What's up?"  
  
I knew I had let myself in for it when I heard her tone. "Is she the reason that you were late to pick me up?"  
  
Surely she wasn't jealous? The best way to deal with this irrational jealousy would be to tell the truth. "She arrived just before I was about to pick you up and I couldn't brush her off. She specifically asked for me."  
  
"You couldn't or wouldn't brush her off?"  
  
This just wasn't fair. I was trying my best and all she can do is send accusations flying. I hate fighting with her, but when she acted like this, I had no choice, "I had to at least listen to her problem and I've already apologised for being late."  
  
"You seem to care more about this prospective client than you do your own wife and child." Now she sounded hysterical. I could sense Rebecca lurking near the conference room and turned to plead for help. She shook her head with a wry smile and left me to it. If anger wasn't going to work, surely affection would. "Lindsay, I'm sorry, sweetheart. If I had realised that you were waiting in the rain, I would have come sooner. But you have to admit that that was a stupid thing to do." Okay, bad choice of words there. Let's rewind and do that scene again.  
  
"Was it stupid of me to expect that my husband would pick me up on time after an appointment that involved the future of our child?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."  
  
"Yes, you did!"  
  
"No, I didn't!"  
  
"Yes…you…did."  
  
"No…I…didn't." It's nice to know that in a fight, we can act with maturity.  
  
"I guess I was stupid this morning. Stupid to think that you would keep your promise and come to this check-up, stupid to think that you would take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to make sure that your baby will be born with ten fingers and toes and a full complement of genetic material."  
  
I wish she wouldn't change subjects so quickly; she's giving me a headache. "Is everything okay?"  
  
"Everything's fine. But…all the other women in the waiting room had someone there with them. I was the only one that was alone."  
  
"I'm sorry, Lindsay. This is an important client. I'll be there next time, I promise."  
  
"Do you need a second chair on this case?" There she goes changing the subject again.  
  
"Well, I was going to ask Jimmy to help me with it. Juries really like him."  
  
"I think I should second chair."  
  
She's up to something, "Why?"  
  
"I don't have much to do and this seems like an interesting case. Wrongful dismissal, right?"  
  
I nodded. "Great." She said, a big smile on her face.  
  
"Great." I replied. This was going to be a bad day.  
  
She followed me back to my office and I introduced her to the client. I watched as Lindsay shook the poor girl's hand so tightly that she visibly grimaced. Lindsay gave her a venomous smile, and purposefully ignored my glare. They chatted. Well, Heather chatted and Lindsay gave cold answers. It was time for me to intervene.  
  
"Lindsay, Heather is suing her old company for firing her. Their argument is that she uses her…uh…looks…to steal clients off other workers in the company. Complaints were filed against her and when she refused to change the way she dressed and acted, they fired her. It is wrongful dismissal and it should be easy to get them to make an offer."  
  
Heather protested attractively, "I don't want to take a settlement."  
  
"It may be the best thing, Heather," I persuaded gently.  
  
Lindsay began to act with more civility, "Surely they offered you some sort of redundancy package when they fired you?"  
  
"Of course they did. But I haven't been able to find work elsewhere, Ms. Dole. They refuse to give me a good reference. The emotional pain has been overwhelming." The poor girl was visibly distressed. My heart went out to her.  
  
"I'm sure it is just terrible for you. We'll do everything we can, Ms. Cameron." Her sarcasm was lost on Heather, who looked at her with puppy like adoration. It was almost sickening to watch.  
  
We stood up.  
  
The kiss came out of nowhere. I was standing next to her, waiting for her to leave when she suddenly smiled and kissed me. Lindsay was outraged and Heather oblivious to the tornado of anger that she had whipped up. I felt my face go red and watched her leave. I was in big trouble. We watched her with silence as she disappeared through the door.  
  
And I suddenly realised an important lesson. Sometimes I should listen to my wife.  
  
Rebecca…  
  
There was silence in Bobby's office as I watched Heather leave. I'm not ashamed to say that I had eavesdropped throughout the whole scene. It was hard not to in this place. I had even seen the kiss and the anger on Lindsay's face. After being left to wait in the rain, the kiss would be a death sentence for Bobby. I saw her turn to him. The word divorce crossed her lips, but I couldn't hear the words accompanying it. Damn. Being Bobby, his temper got the better of him and he protested vigorously. Thank God both of them had loud voices, I could now hear every word.  
  
"Grounds for divorce? I did nothing wrong!" Bobby yelled.  
  
"Nothing wrong? She wouldn't have kissed you if you hadn't led her on or encouraged her in some way."  
  
"Lindsay, this is ridiculous. I can't believe you're jealous. She obviously isn't my type."  
  
"Oh really?" Lindsay scoffed. "So what is your type?"  
  
I felt my face go white and I tried to send psychic messages to Bobby, 'say that Lindsay is your type' I put all my effort into it, but Bobby fell into the trap.  
  
"I don't really have a type."  
  
Oh Bobby, why did you have to say that? He realised his mistake and backtracked. "But you're my type," he added with a rush.  
  
Too late: the damage was done.  
  
"I have work to do." Lindsay told him coldly.  
  
"Lindsay, can we talk about this?"  
  
"I don't think we have anything to talk about."  
  
"I think we do."  
  
Her tone suddenly changed, "We'll talk later. You can make it up to me then."  
  
And then the strange thing happened. His tone changed too. "And how would you like me to make it up to you?"  
  
"We'll talk later," she repeated.  
  
She stalked out the door and I turned quickly to the file on my desk. Lindsay smiled a secretive smile as she left the office, which made me wonder what was going on. I spun around and peeked through the blinds. Bobby was also smiling to himself. Sometimes it seemed as they spoke a different language to the rest of us. As usual, I was left in the dark.  
  
And I suddenly realised an important lesson. Sometimes eavesdropping wasn't worth the trouble.  
  
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THE END 


End file.
